Pipe Conditions Haven't Been Ideal, Though Conditions May Have Been Worse in Vancouver

Volunteers check the condition of the Olympic halfpipe on Sunday.
Associated Press

Of all the athletes at these Sochi Winter Olympics, perhaps none has been talked about more while doing less (so far) than Shaun White.

The two-time gold medalist in the snowboard halfpipe had planned to double up on events this Olympics, also qualifying for the inaugural slopestyle competition in which riders perform tricks on a course with obstacles and jumps.

But White pulled out of slopestyle one day before the preliminaries, saying he didn't want to risk injuring himself and miss the halfpipe finals. That decision rankled some of his fellow riders and cranked up the anticipation for Tuesday's main event, to be held in a halfpipe facility that some riders say is below par.

"Yesterday it was pretty horrible," U.S. snowboarding coach Peter Foley said after a Monday night practice session. "Today the surface is better but it's still not great."

The pipe had bumpy walls and felt slightly concave to riders rather than the proper vertical sides it is supposed to have, Foley said. Mike Jankowski, U.S. head coach in halfpipe, said the pipe had "soft, challenging snow." But Jankowski added that the team dealt with worse circumstances four years ago in Vancouver, when the U.S. men won halfpipe gold and bronze.

Uwe Beier, race director for the International Ski Federation, snowboarding's Olympic sanctioning body, said officials were doing everything possible to improve the facility. "The pipe conditions were not ideal at the first two trainings," Beier said. "However, we are ensuring that the team working there is doing everything possible to solve the situation as soon as possible."

Even after workers made improvements, riders moving through the flat bottom of the pipe Monday night appeared to vibrate like cars across a highway cattle grate. "A lot of people struggled here today," Foley said.

After the practice session, White was surrounded by a cluster of TV cameras and Olympic volunteers seeking photographs before he was whisked away. According to the Associated Press, White called the halfpipe "pretty hard to ride" but said riders have encountered similar conditions. A few days ago, U.S. slopestyle snowboarder Chas Guldemond called White's late pullout from that event "pretty unfortunate" and said that deserving riders had been left at home so White could compete.

The halfpipe is White's haven. Four years ago in Vancouver, he blew away the competition with runs that were both difficult and soaringly stylish, and he is the favorite to blast off again. On Saturday, the first day of medal events, White tweeted a photo of himself in full astronaut gear with the headline, "Wish me luck!"

Another variable in this competition is the six-member panel of judges that so far has rewarded creativity, clean execution and unique poses over the riskiest tricks. That counters the trend of the past several years, when snowboarders have labored to land multiple "double-cork" tricks—two off-axis flips combined with multiple spins—in a single run.

White can do a double-cork 1440, which includes four full spins. Other riders also have unique double-cork combinations. Whether the Sochi snow and the shape of the pipe will allow them to land those tricks is another matter.

Kelly Clark, the four-time U.S. Olympian and 2002 women's halfpipe gold medalist who competes Wednesday, said she had welcomed visits to rough halfpipes over the past four years, knowing that Sochi could have imperfection in store.

Davis pointed out that everyone must manage the same halfpipe. That's true even for White, who is trying to become the first American male Winter Olympian to win his event in three consecutive Games.

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